The “background” description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description which may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly or impliedly admitted as prior art against the present invention.
Mobile computing devices, such as laptops, PDAs, media players, game consoles, touchpads, smartphones, e-readers etc., have evolved to become more and more sophisticated. With the rapidly developing technologies on Internet data storage, data transmission, and wireless communication as well as on data-handling capabilities of mobile computing devices, consumers increasingly spend extended time using such devices, such as watching videos, viewing photos, video conferencing, reading books, Internet browsing, sending emails, on-line chatting, playing video games, etc. To suit consumers' demand for portability, the design trend of various mobile computing devices continues to emphasize making the devices smaller and thinner. Most modern portable computing devices are installed with a touchscreen panel that is fixed to the device body. To view the display screen hands-free in an ergonomic view angle to reduce related visual discomforts, a user usually needs to position the device in an inclined angle (or an upright position) on a horizontal resting surface, e.g., a desk. Most mobile computing device products are not equipped with a built-in stand for supporting the device in an upright position. External accessories of various configurations are typically used to prop such a device in a user-intended orientation. In some of the accessory products, a stand is integrated with a protective case customized for a device model; while others are designed exclusively as a stand.